Friday, February 7, 2020

My Own Personal Research Historian by Eileen O'Finlan

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Click here to visit Eileen O'Finlan's website

As any historical fiction author can attest, an enormous amount of research is necessary before and during the writing of an historical novel. That research can include reading primary and secondary sources, visiting historical sites, museums, and the location of the story’s setting. It may also include Internet searches and the use of digital archives. Speaking with experts, such as I’ve been fortunate enough to do while researching my forthcoming novel, is always of great value. It also tends to lead to more research as often the author is given more book titles and websites to peruse.

I consider myself especially fortunate in that I have tucked away in my pocket, so to speak, my own personal research historian. His name is Tom Kelleher. Tom is a professional Research Historian and Curator for Old Sturbridge Village, (OSV, aka the Village) a living history museum in Sturbridge, Massachusetts which portrays rural life in an 1830s New England town. 

I first met Tom when I worked for Old Sturbridge Village. I was a Museum Assistant in the Department of Research, Collections, and Library during the mid-1990s. My position entailed administrative duties to the Director of Historical Research as well as the all other research historians and curators. Along with the secretarial duties, I got to assist with research projects for books and museum exhibits as well as helping curators catalog the artifacts and reproductions. It was an amazing experience with a fantastic group of people.

Tom had already been working at OSV for many years by the time I started. He began as a costumed interpreter, mostly working in the Blacksmith shop and the saw and grist mills. Before long, he knew the whole village and its crafts well enough to fill in just about anywhere. With a Master’s Degree in History and a Bachelor’s in Education, he moved up the ranks to Historian and Curator.

Tom is one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met in my life. He’s also one of the most capable and self-sufficient. He has a blacksmith shop at his own home. He also does his own coopering, making barrels, butter churns, pails, etc. for gifts or paying customers. He learned to do stone carving so that he could replace the headstones in the Village’s cemetery (not a real cemetery). He was also kind enough to make headstones for my beloved cats when they passed away and I buried them in my backyard. He is adept at tinsmithing, pottery, milling, and any number of 19th century crafts. He’s sewn some of his own work costumes using his grandmother’s treadle sewing machine. I could go on, but you probably get the point.

Over the years, Tom has created and portrayed many 19th century characters at Old Sturbridge Village including at dentist, a peddler, an itinerant preacher, and even a phrenologist (yes, he learned to read the bumps on people’s heads, just as the 19th phrenologists did when it was all the rage.)

Tom’s abilities are a wonder to behold, but they don’t begin to compare with what’s in his head. The amount of knowledge he has in regards to history (and many other things, for that matter) is astounding. I sometimes wonder if he has an eidetic memory. He is especially well-versed in 19th century American history for obvious reasons, but his Master’s Degree was in European History so he’s got a vast store of knowledge on that as well. In fact, I’m always amazed at what he knows about almost any time period and place.

Tom and I got to know each other very well during the three years I worked for Old Sturbridge Village. Actually, that’s an understatement. We started dating and continued for eight years. We got engaged, almost got married, broke up, and got back together as friends. Tom is probably my best friend in the world and, hopefully, always will be. He is a constant in my life. We were right not to marry, but we were also right to remain friends. Our relationship is stronger than ever today.

One lovely bonus of my deep friendship with Tom is that he is happy to act as my personal research historian. Countless times, I’ve needed an answer that would have taken precious time to look up, if I could find the answer at all. A quick text to Tom and I’ve got what I need in minutes. Here is a sample of some of the texts we’ve shared while I’ve been working on Erin’s Children, the sequel to Kelegeen.

ME: If one 19th c. person is telling another one not to spend too much money is it okay if he says, “get what you need, just don’t break the bank”? According to Google, the expression goes back to the 1600s, but was it in common use in the 1850s?

TOM: That is fine. Lots of banks broke in 1837.


ME: Did people drink hot chocolate or hot cocoa in the 1850s?

TOM: Yes. Drinking chocolate was the most common way to consume it then. But not cocoa.


ME: Would the man of the house carve the Thanksgiving turkey at the table or is that more of a Norman Rockwell fiction?

TOM: The wife.

ME: Seriously? At the table? The husband led the blessing, though, right?

TOM: Yes to both.


ME: How much did it cost to rent a sleigh and horse for an hour or two in 1851?

TOM: I guess 25 cents is about right. With a driver, make it 50 cents.

ME: Could they have gone for a sleigh ride on a Sunday or would that be against the having too much fun on a Sunday law?

TOM: Not on a Sunday. Sorry. Go to sleep. (Okay, ‘cuz I sent that particular text at 11:00 p.m.)


ME: In what year did most northerners realize civil war [American Civil War] was probably inevitable? Was there a specific incident that made them feel that way? I mean before Fort Sumter.
TOM: Well, people had warned about it since the 1830s at least. But inevitable? No. Even when South Carolina left many thought they could be brought back. Jackson did as much in 1832. When six more deep south states left many thought it could be reversed. When the upper south left many on both sides thought it would be a quick war. The long blood bath surprised most. So no.


This is just a small sample, but it seems as though any history question I have, whether about huge events or the details of everyday life can be answered with a quick text to Tom.

To attest even further to this, when I was speaking with Holly Izard who is the Curator of Collections for the Worcester Historical Museum and a former research historian at Old Sturbridge Village, I happened to mention that I often text Tom with my questions. Holly, who knew Tom years ago when she worked at the Village, said to me, “There are times when I just can’t find an answer to an historical question. When that happens I email Tom. He never fails me. There are just some things I know for a fact only Tom will have the answer to.”

I hear that!

Historian, Curator, and Costumed Interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village,
Tom Kelleher

Thursday, February 6, 2020

HOW WRITERS BUILD WORLDS - CREATING FICTIONAL COMMUNITIES



Characters cannot float in space. They need a world to walk in, to talk in, and to live their lives joyously

I start with the characters:
  • I ask them what type of community they live in.

  • I find places with those ingredients and use the pieces.

  • I add family, friends, and enemies.

  • I provide jobs on the main street; homes on side streets.

  • I surround the place with roads, beaches, parks, or businesses.

  • I daw a map of the village or town.

For Caleb's Cove, I looked to Nova Scotia's south shore islands, ocean-side markets, and beaches. I sprinkled in hurricanes, boats, history, and ghosts. (The Caleb Cove Mysteries - 4 books)


Writers can be inspired by characters or an event, but as the story evolves the characters need a place to live. The setting is a character in its own right and often dictates the direction in the story. Some writers set books in real places. In a large city, this works. However, using a smaller, limited population creates privacy issues and limits events. The solution is to create a fictional community to showcase the story.



Inspiration # 1 - Tancook Island, Nova Scotia, Canada 
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEkJoqssthPdXw9ch5fTYNyrkP5RpJ8OflPKBLBgRxdP4StoRrT2pifbDXz1hyphenhyphen57dO9aIDtMMYBoXyRuih3hHX57tfPfgCP-8J2RZQ_5WjGtkdV0jb4yrs-4evmmjJQZTEGyd2EVN6u4/s1600/Tancook-map72.jpg

Three real locations provided inspiration, visuals, and ambiance for Caleb's Cove. (Book 2 Came Home to a Killing )

However, all people and story events are products of my writer's imagination and other than the awesome ocean setting, bear no connection to any real person in the three background communities.



Tancook Island started it all. I've had a fascination with Tancook for decades. My sister-in-law's mother worked on Little Tancook and I loved her stories and the name. At eight I thought it a great setting for a mystery and wrote (longhand in a Hilary Scribbler) The Mystery on Tancook Island.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXsOa-4jMQ6eoh3w63bnpDhHoaVH-kQLXfZP4xvwsSG8oF-ZYWU2TvhPaGG9jx_WsRNPV2fqJnBV5waVIXaeYDfO9tLEGvKL5YuipwRe6MekaH3Jrb5VLd92qDQr022QASGr3YqsXydk/s1600/th.jpg
Accidentally, or at the bidding of  my unconscious, my first published novel was set on an island off Nova Scotia. Additional details and ideas for Caleb's Cove came from Tancook and two other Nova Scotia locations. And now there are four books in total in the series.




“Sweeping his gaze from left to right Greg checked the altered sandy strip, the docks and the rocky protrusions. The waves still arched and crested against the land, splashing through gaps in the boardwalk and sucking back to display the damage. In the harbor beyond, white caps revealed the sea’s continued turmoil. The rhythmic roar and whoosh were primal. He’d wait for calmer seas before launching the dory even if she was designed for rough waters. And you? What are you waiting for?”
       
Book 3 - Came Home Too Late 

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

February The Shortest Month of the Year by Rosemary Morris



For more information on Rosemary's books please click the cover above.

February the Shortest Month of the Year

“February brings the snow.
“Makes our feet and fingers glow.”

3rd and 4th lines of a nursery rhyme. Anonymous.


Hertfordshire. S. East England. 2019
Extracts from My Garden Diary
6th February. First thing in the morning a baby blue sky and sunshine followed by banks of cloud rimmed with gold. Later the sky darkened, and baby snowflakes fluttered to the ground. I wish I was as tolerant in every condition of my life as the trees and plants.
8th February. Patchy snow on the raised beds. Light frost changing the hue of the grass from bright green to silvery green. My nose glowed red when I ventured outside.
* * *
Miscellaneous.
The origin of February’s name is either from the ancient Italian God, Februus or februa purification festivals observed in Rome.
Aquarius is the sign of the zodiac for those born between the 1st and 18th. People born between the 19th and 28th/29th are influenced by Pisces. Violets, primroses, and irises are the month’s birth flowers. The birthstone is amethyst, symbol of piety, humility, sincerity and spirituality.
The Roman Catholic church dedicates February to the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
2nd February.
This the day on which it is thought Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord in the temple.
Shrove Tuesday. Pancake Day
Shrove Tuesday is on the first Tuesday before Lent. During the two previous days, known as shrove tide, Christians confess/ed their sins. On this day pancakes are made with eggs, which symbolise creation, flour, the staff of life, salt considered wholesome and milk for purity. This day was one of revelry and pancakes are still served in many homes.
Ash Wednesday the Beginning of Lent
Ash Wednesday lasts for forty days which represent the days Jesus spent in the wilderness. At church the priest or minister might mark Christian’s foreheads with the sign of the Cross, with ashes from palms burnt in the previous year after Palm Sunday. This is a sign of mourning and repentance. It also represents the cross Jesus sacrificed his life on. As a child during Lent I was encouraged to renounce sweets, which made chocolate Easter eggs very welcome.
14th February - St Valentine’s Day
There are several saints called Valentine but the martyrdom of two falls on this day. In times past it was believed birds mate on this day and sweethearts were chosen. The custom of sending anonymous cards developed from that belief.




Classic Historical Fiction by Rosemary Morris

Early 18th Century novels: Tangled Love, Far Beyond Rubies, The Captain and The Countess

Regency Novels. False Pretences. Heroines Born on Different Days of the Week Books One to Six, Sunday’s Child, Monday’s Child, Tuesday’s Child, Wednesday’s Child, Thursday’s Child, and Friday’s Child. (The novels in the series are not dependent on each other, although events in previous novels are sometimes referred to and characters reappear.) Saturday’s Child will be published in July 2020.

Mediaeval Novel Yvonne Lady of Cassio. The Lovages of Cassio Book

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

https;//bwlpublishing.net/authors/rosemary-morris-rosemary-historical-uk/

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

The Destruction of Port Royal by Katherine Pym




~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Port Royal, Jamaica 1690


First, a little history of the town…
Port Royal (changed in 1660 from Point Cagway) was a village in Jamaica, taken by the English in 1655.  The town had a natural deep harbor perfect for ships, but there was little to defend it. Houses dotted the landscape up the hills and down to the water, some with stilts in the sand, their houses standing in the tidal swells.

A couple forts were built, but that was not enough to keep the Spanish at bay, so the inhabitants contacted the Brethren of the Coast, a pirate union of sorts, and invited them to settle there. Port Royal boomed. Soon 6,500 souls resided there. Ships in the harbor and a lively town with men known for their swashbuckling, rough ways were a deterrent for anyone thinking to come ashore and cause havoc.


Port Royal After quake
Before long Port Royal became a haven for pirates with brothels and lawlessness. Merchants bought and sold what the pirates dragged ashore, but this wild life had its comeuppance, with a final, deadly end.  

June 7, 1692 life in Port Royal changed forever. Just before noon a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit Jamaica, its epicenter in the hills above the town. The ground suffered liquidation, sinking buildings, animals, trees and streets. Geysers erupted. When the town collapsed, a large tsunami crashed onto the island, taking a ship with it. 40 feet high on the wall of water the ship throttled inland to rest on a ruined building. Unearthed corpses floated amongst the debris. Landslides prevailed. Except for the ship perched on an old building, what remained of Port Royal sank into the sea. 

Over 5000 died. Looting and violence took over. Of those who survived the initial destruction, many later succumbed to their injuries or illness.

Port Royal Before the quake

Port Royal After the quake

As a species, people are enduring. They usually rebuild after a catastrophe, and many tried to rebuild Port Royal, but one disaster after another struck, hurricanes, fire, more earthquakes. What remains today is insignificant compared to the late 17th century.

Today, you can swim over the sunken city, and see rooftops not far below. In the past years, archaeological digs have explored the remains. Interesting finds have surfaced. “In 1969, Edwin Link discovered the most famous artifact: a pocket watch dated 1686, stopped at exactly 11:43 (a.m.).

~*~*~*~
Many thanks to:
Wikicommons public domain.

‘Port Royal, Jamaica, Sunken Pirate City at Port Royal, Nature took her revenge on the "Wickedest City in the World."’ https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sunken-pirate-stronghold-at-port-royal

History Channel:
“Earthquake destroys Jamaican pirate haven”

‘The History of Port Royal, Jamaica”
o    







Monday, February 3, 2020

Up to my ____ in Edits! by Diane Bator


Introducing my New Release:  Dead Without Shame




Once more, Gilda considers leaving the karate school to work for her friend Happy (no one has ever called him Harvey). When three men rob Happy Harvey’s Hangover Hut killing the woman at the front counter, Gilda is stunned to think that could have been her. Was this a mere robbery, or does someone have a vendetta against Happy, including his good friend Gary del Garda? The evidence keeps piling up while both her mother and another karate instructor come to town bearing secrets that may cost Gilda the life she loves in Sandstone Cove.
You can find it at:  https://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/


I'm up to my ___ in edits! I was blessed to be able to go to Mississippi and Louisiana with my honey to visit two of my sons and one of their girlfriends. Visiting New Orleans and Biloxi was a great way to spend the Christmas holidays. Unfortunately, it was not conducive to editing.

I was supposed to be working on finishing and editing my newest release Dead Without Shame. I had the book printed, I had 18 hours in the car... Just not the drive to get it done!

Some writers dread edits. I have to admit that I actually like the editing phase of the whole writing process. I like reading my stories and being able to make changes and tighten things up before I submit the book to my publisher. The opportunity to bring flat characters to life and color the settings to make them more real, is something I enjoy doing, especially in a little coffee shop or on the beach at my honey's cottage.

One piece of advice I would offer any writer, no matter what level, is to edit, edit, edit. We all miss things. The little typos your eyes don't see after sitting at the computer for hours on end. The kink in your story's flow of having things happen before they logically should. After days, months, or even years of writing, we no longer read what we actually see in print but what we think should be there. 

I write in longhand then transcribe to the computer. In spite of that, I always edit on paper before I make any changes in my computer. Why go to all the trouble? I find reading words on paper easier than on a screen. Maybe it's just the way I see. Maybe it's just that I like being able to make marks, squiggles and notes all over the paper. Whatever the reason, it works for me.

What do I watch for when I edit? 
  • repetitive words. 
  • using characters' names to the point that the flow becomes stilted. 
  • lack of description
  • too much description that takes away from the story
  • characters being too wordy
  • especially in a series, not filling in readers on important character information that appeared in earlier novels
  • typos
  • missing words/double words
  • double periods or missing periods
  • overusing he/she/it
As with any other writer who can't stop the flow of words, I'm off to the next new project. Since the book is already written, that means... More Edits!
And a chance to begin a whole new project.

Have an amazing day!


Diane Bator

Sunday, February 2, 2020

January Blues











Well, here it is, Christmas and New Years are over, The decorations are put away and nothing to look forward to until Spring. No wonder the animals hibernate - besides the cold weather that is. Not that we've had much of that so far. December was an above average temperature month for the most part. We had a few extremely cold days. Not that December is an unusually cold month here in Ohio anyway, but 50s and 60s? Definitely not the norm.
And January started off pretty much the same way. You might say it was a roller coaster month. If you didn't like the weather one day, wait until tomorrow.
But weather aside, there's always a let down of sorts after Christmas. All that planning for a month and then bam, like that it's over and done. All the pretty lights are gone, living rooms go back to being their blah spaces.
Okay, some people might not agree. They like the uncluttered clean look. For me, it's almost depressing. I love the lights and decorations. So much so, I leave them up until January 7th. The day after the Feast of the Epiphany, or Feast of the Three Kings, Magi, or whatever term you want to use. My mom always waited, too. So it's become a tradition for me. Not many people I know do it any more, and I guess that's okay for them.  Many can't wait to put Christmas away.
But, it's away and now we settle in for the long winter days, waiting for warmer weather - at least here in Ohio. January had five Fridays, this year. And February has an extra day, being a Leap Year. Why would they add the extra day in February? Even with only 28 days, it feels like the longest month of the year already and they go and throw in an extra day. Why not add it in June, July or August. Heck even September would be better than February.
I know, it all has something to do with the earth orbiting the sun and it's all very scientific and I don't even pretend to understand it. "February 29 is a date that usually occurs every four years and is called a leap day. This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure because the Earth doesn't orbit the Sun in precisely 365 days."
I still don't understand why they couldn't have added it to spring or summer. But who am I?
 I guess I'll just have to deal with it and wait an extra day for the warmer weather. Yes, I love the warm weather. I'm a Spring/Fall kind of girl. I'm not big on hot weather either. Anything with high humidity I can live without. I'm fine up to mid 80s as long as there's no humidity. After that, I take to the inside and air conditioning.
I'm good with temps in the 30s in winter, I can even handle the snow - provided we're not snowbound. A couple inches is fine as long as I don't have to drive in it. Although, around here they keep the streets pretty well cleared. Below that, I prefer not to go out.
It's no wonder people get depressed this time of year. Cloudy skies are the norm. Bad enough it doesn't get light until almost 8 AM and dark by 5 PM, add in the clouds, and it really gets you down. I feel bad for the people who have to work, going to work in the dark, coming home in the dark.
I was fortunate when I worked, I started at 8 and came home around 3:30. Still a little daylight left.
Okay, this blog turned out to be depressing and I didn't plan it that way. I'm really in a pretty good mood. And every day gets us closer to the bright sunshine and warm weather. Only 28 days, can that possibly be true? Of course there's still a lot of cold weather after March 20th - that's my youngest daughter's birthday, by the way.

Geriatric Rebels, one of my favorite books - although I love them all and they're all my favorites for one reason or another. I love the characters.

Forced to stay in a nursing home while undergoing therapy, seventy-two year old, Mike Powell refuses to get out of bed, won't cooperate with the nurses, and won’t take his medicine. At least not until he meets Elsa. The tiny, spunky little Elsa sparks new life into him.

Seventy year old, Elsa -left in the home while her son takes a family vacation - joins forces with Mike, setting the home on its heels, and later discovers deception and fraud. Can they find happiness together?

Who says life begins at 40? Life is wonderful at any age, as long you're willing to live it. Elsa Logan and Mike Powell prove it. And I want to be just like them when I grow up! One of Roseanne Dowell's best, and my personal favorite!
Elsa Logan bears a striking resemblance to a romance writer I know who shall be nameless but whose initials are R. D. ~ Romantic Suspense Author, Gail Roughton


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